New Sermn for Sunday

MAY 15, 2022

Peter, in today’s reading from Acts, is explaining the concept of clean/not clean.

That concept is important to Jews, Muslims and most other religions.

But not to Christians, so much.

Yet in our day and age, unfortunately, the clean/unclean debate has heated up in our culture.

Are people of color to be denied the vote because they are somehow seen as ‘unclean’?

Is affordable health care clean or unclean?

Is abortion and reproductive rights clean or unclean?

Are LGBTQ folks and same-sex marriage clean or unclean.

Are immigrants clean or unclean?

Are guns clean or unclean.

Is freedom of speech and to protest clean or unclean?

Is democracy itself clean or unclean?

The jury of the American people is still out on all of those issues.

In my lifetime, the country has not been so divided since the Viet Nam War—and that division was nothing compared to today.

We need to look to today’s gospel lesson for guidance in these oh-so-divided times.

At the Last Supper in John, Jesus addresses his disciples.

“Little Children,” he said to begin.

Isn’t that wondrous?

Jesus calls his adult disciples, “Little Children”.

We are all ‘children’ in the faith.

Maybe we should call each other that—‘Little Children’.

Then he gives them a new commandment.

Listen: “…you must love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

I watch videos on line from “VID Chronicles”. They are short depictions of life and always have a moral.

And the by word of “Vid Chronicles” is this: “always let love lead the way.”

That is a profound assertion.

Letting love lead the way is what Jesus calls us to.

Letting love lead the way can overcome our political differences, our disagreements, our resentment of things in the world.

Letting Love Lead the Way is the only way to be truly alive and truly ‘little children’ of God.

Let’s all do that, every hour of every day.

Let us ‘let love lead the way’.

 

Which brings us to Psalm 148.

This maybe my favorite Psalm of them all.

There are 150 Psalms and this one is next to next to last.

It should be the last one because it is so beautiful and so true.

It calls on all Creation to praise the Lord.

Angels and all their hosts.

Sun and moon and shining stars.

Heaven of heavens and you waters above the heavens.

Sea monsters and all deeps.

Fire and hail, snow and fog, tempestuous winds.

Wild beasts and all cattle.

Creeping thing and winged birds.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and rulers of the world.

All are called to praise the Lord.

Young men and maidens, old and young together.

Everything must praise the Lord because ‘his splendor is over earth and heaven.’

So must we ‘praise the Lord’.

So must we.

Love one another and praise the Lord together and our divisions won’t matter.

We will be one with the Lord.

We will be one with each other.

Praise his holy name.

Shalom and Amen.